All posts filed under: Photography

F.A.Q.’s Which film do you use?

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95 % of the time I shoot with 220 rolls of Fujifilm’s Fujichrome Provia 100F. The Pentax 67II gives you 10 images on a 120 roll, and 21 images on a 220 roll. Using 220 means I get one extra shot compared to shooting two rolls of 120, processing is a little cheaper and I spend less time changing film. 220 rolls of Provia aren’t available on Amazon but you can get them from B&H Photo. I use Provia 100F for it’s ultra-fine grain, and great color reproduction. However, I sometimes use Provia 400X if I have to shoot on an overcast day or for fire festivals. (Provia 400x is not available in 220 so I use 120 rolls) On my next trip as I’m going to be shooting some landscapes (hopefully with blue skies and cherry blossom) so I have also got a couple of boxes of Velvia 100F for higher color saturation. I wouldn’t use Velvia for portraits, for this Astia 100F would be a better option. I have only used Kodak products …

F.A.Q.s Which digital SLR should I buy?

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I get asked this question quite a lot, and in all honesty, I am not really the right person to answer. The only digital camera I currently use is my little point & shoot W60, while for work I still use my Pentax 67II medium format film camera. Getting balanced opinions isn’t made easier by the fact that many photographers are extremely proud (or defensive) of the brand they use. The situation is akin to sports teams. Asking a Nikon user about the quality of Canon’s gear, is similar to asking a Liverpool fan about Manchester United. You may get an honest answer, but you are more likely to be told the other brand is trash or that Rooney looks like  Shrek. Photography magazines are usually better, but you have to raise an eyebrow when the glowing review for a particular camera is followed by a two page paid advertisement for the exact same camera. I would first take a look at the digital SLR buyers guide at Digital Photography Review. Another good introduction to …

On the Bookshelf: Within the Frame by David duChemin

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Within the Frame: The Journey of Photographic Vision is a new book on travel photography by David duChemin. The quality of both the writing and photography along with its focus on vision rather than equipment means that the book, already a bestseller, is destined to become a classic. Simply put, it should be on the bookshelf of any aspiring travel photographer. “Vision is the beginning and end of photography. It’s the thing that moves you to pick up the camera, and it determines what you look at and what you see and what you do. It determines how you shoot and why. Without vision the photographer perishes.”          David duChemin There are chapters on the basics such as the rule of thirds, exposure, depth of field and varying angles. The book also delves into issues that are more specific to travel photographers such as whether to give money to beggars, or issues to consider when photographing poverty, children or the elderly. Overall, however, the book is about how to improve your craft, …

“Most Interesting” images on Flickr

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One clever feature on Flickr is the ability to track the popularity of your images. There is a program that will determine your most interesting images based on comments and views. It then creates a special set for your Photostream. My top 36 “most interesting” images as of March 15th are those above. It appears that women in bikinis and men’s bottoms are popular favorites. Nice to see that my labrador Bear sneaked in there at number 36.

PocketWizards in the field

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PocketWizards also allow you to easily use off-camera flash when shooting in the field. Connect one PocketWizard to your camera and then the second Pocket Wizard  to the flash. I use a transceiver caddy to mount the PocketWizard to the handle of an old hammerhead flash. Press the shutter and, wirelessly, the flash will trigger. You could add a second off-camera flash by setting the second flash to slave mode. Another useful thing to consider if you are taking PocketWizards into the field is a hard case which will protect the antenna while it is bouncing around your bag. Some are designed to fit with the transceiver caddy making things even easier. This one is by Hildozine.

PocketWizards in the studio

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I got a set of PocketWizards recently and tested them out in the studio with fellow photographer Eboh. One PocketWizard was connected to the power pack. The second PocketWizard was attached to my camera via the x-sync socket as I don’t have a hot-shoe on the Pentax 67. I  put a Radio Triggering Module in the back of my light meter so that I could trigger the strobe when I took a light reading. Simply select the digital transmitter mode on the light meter and confirm both PocketWizards and light meter are on the same channel. Make-up artist Kim Clay and Eboh’s wife Ursula then posed for some shots. Overall the PocketWizards work really well in the studio. They remove many of the wires making things easier and safer. Their popularity with studio photographers is such that many power packs come with PocketWizard receivers built in. They’re not cheap, but they are a quality product.

Okinawan Lizard

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I found this little creature in the bathroom this morning. He was quite cold so easy to catch and happy to sunbathe while I took some photos. (In fact, once I had finished taking photos with my point & shoot I went back in the house got out my Pentax 67, changed lenses, attached a 1:1 macro adapter, inserted film, found light meter, and he was still relaxing on the shell when I came back.) I have field guides for Japanese birds, and even a list of Okinawan dragonflies, I don’t however have a list of herps (This is where my friend Matt would step in when I lived in Peru ). Does anyone out there now what species this is?